


Through a Portal Darkly (Episode One)

by brunettachoppa687, TTICSY (phantomofthefandoms)



Series: Role Reverse AU [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Aged up Danny, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, College age Vlad, Danny's a superhero, I think you all get the picture, M/M, Slow Build, Valerie is a badass, Vlad's a punk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 08:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4298145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brunettachoppa687/pseuds/brunettachoppa687, https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomofthefandoms/pseuds/TTICSY
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>28 year old Danny Fenton, AKA Phantom, has been Amity Parks secret hero for over ten years now, and never let being the only halfa get him down.  But now, it seems a new halfa has arrived and Danny really wants to help and befriend him!  If only he knew that halfa was also 18 year old Vlad Masters, the over worked college student that frequents his little coffee shop.  Things will get a lot more confusing, messy, and just plain WORSE, before things get better...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Through a Portal Darkly (Episode One)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a role reverse au where Danny still got his powers when he was 14, but it's not till he's in his 20's that Vlad will get his while he is in college. Things are a little topsy turvy here, but we hope you all enjoy this little rewrite~

Tink~!

A tiny clink of a bell sounded throughout Andromeda Cafe.  The pleasant babble of customers eased out onto the evening air, mixing with the honks of evening rush traffic for a moment before the glass door shut.  Clink!

The Andromeda Cafe was a local little coffee and bookshop on 14th Street, a place where most of the students at Amity University hung out to drink java and study between classes, since it was just a few blocks from campus.  It was only a few dozen yards deep and wide, but the cafe was four stories tall, platforms built on two different floors.  The final fourth floor was locked away behind a door, serving a loft for the shop owner.  A spiral staircase of old amber wood led to each balcony -- each closer and closer to the domed ceiling, painted with deep midnight blue and stars painted in sparkling, glow-in-the-dark paint.  Thousands of glow-in-the-dark stars were stuck on the ceiling and wood panels.  Right now, they weren’t glowing; just translucent yellow-white stars soaking in the light from the big brass chandelier that shone gold during the day. The floors and tables -- made of old amber wood, too -- gleamed in the warm light.  

Like everyone else that had come in before him, the newcomer went to a table, plopped down his backpack, unzipped it, and pulled out a jacket -- slipping his arms through the sleeves.  The cafe was also renowned for being stupidly chilly.

18-year-old Vladimir Masters shivered in his jacket and scarf.  

Running a hand over his short blue-black hair, Vlad pushed up his glasses and took out his computer.  A double major in mechanical engineering and business with a minor in paranormal studies, even as a freshman he was one of Andromeda’s regulars with all the time he spent there -- studying and drinking coffee.  And flirting with the cute barista, of course.

“Midterms already?”

Vlad looked up to see said cute barista and shop owner bringing him his usual caramel latte.  “Oh, hey, Danny!” he exclaimed.  “You’re looking lovelier than ever~”

Daniel Fenton, or Danny as he liked to be called, was nearly ten years older than him.  But god, he was as cute as a button.  He was about the same height as Vlad and had a great swimmers build, defined muscles peaking out from behind those v-neck sweaters and aprons while still being on the slim side.  He had big baby blue eyes behind a pair of square framed glasses and long black hair that he tended to keep up in a messy ponytail or bun.

The older man cocked his hip with an amused look, setting down the latte on Vlad’s table.  “Here’s your usual, you want a brownie too?  Just got them out of the oven~”

“Oh my god, that sounds amazing...”

Danny nodded and turned to go, showing off his strong back, slim waist, and a fine ass wrapped in tight jeans.  Was that man really 28?  Vlad found himself wondering that surprisingly often.  He sure aged well…

Danny returned with the promised brownie.  “So what grueling subject has my task master of a sister assigned for you all as a midterm paper THIS time~?” he asked, putting down the plate with a clink.

“Ha!  It’s literally just me, babe.  Not a lot of people bother to even go that far in the paranormal minor,” Vlad replied, cobalt eyes flicking across his flickering laptop screen.  He smacked it.  “Ugh, c’mon, you piece of junk!”  

“Don’t call me babe, you little punk,” Danny said, rolling his eyes at the nickname.  Vlad wasn’t the first student to flirt with him, and he doubted he would be the last.  Even if Vlad WAS his favorite customer…

Best not to dwell on that.

“Acting up on you again is it?” he asked, leaning down to look at the device.  “I’ve still got my older model that I used to use in the shop, it’s not top of the line but it’s better than this.  Seriously, just let me sell it to you.”

Vlad smiled.  “Thanks, cupcake, you’re so sweet to me~” he replied, a playful lilt in his voice but his laughter more than a little forced.  “I REALLY wish I could take you up on that but I literally have ten dollars to my name right now.  In fact, I actually can barely even afford that latte you just brought me, hahaha…”

“For my favorite customer?  Everything’s on the house and you know it~”  

Danny reached over and gave Vlad’s shoulder a squeeze, really feeling for the kid.  “Would you like to at least BORROW it while you’re here?  I mean, it’s collecting dust anyway, might as well get used…”

Then he blinked and squinted at the younger boy.  “And I’m SO not your cupcake kid, but nice try~”

Vlad chuckled, the worry lines between his brows easing just a little.  Worry lines.  On an 18-year old.  “Thank you, my little croissant, I’d appreciate it…” he sighed, slamming the laptop.  “And thanks for the coffee.  And the brownie.  OH, BROWNIE!”

The young man descended on the treat like a ravenous monkey, gobbling it down.  “I didn’t have lunch, oh my gosh, this is good…” he said through a mouthful of chocolate.

Danny huffed, letting the nickname slide this time.  “Well, at least you ate breakfast.”

Vlad glanced up at him, cheeks puffy with brownie -- then his brows furrowed.

The barista’s eyes narrowed.  “You didn’t eat breakfast, did you?”

Slowly, Vlad shook his head.

Danny sighed, NOT amused.  “Stay right here, I’m getting that laptop and a sandwich.  And water.  NO ARGUMENTS.  Growing boys need to eat!”

Danny turned with a huff, shaking his head.  “Seriously, food shouldn’t be OPTIONAL…”

He made quick work of whipping up a simple ham sandwich and grabbed his old laptop and a bottle of water before going back out to give them to Vlad.  He handed them over with a glare, demanding Vlad’s submission in this.  “EAT.”

Vlad picked up the sandwich.  “Okay, okay, honey~”

“What is with you and food related nicknames?  Seriously…”  Danny groaned with a huff.

The college boy cackled and tore into the sandwich hungrily.  Danny’s brows furrowed as he watched -- worry glittering in his pale blue eyes.  Vlad was a huge bisexual flirt and an incredibly hard worker, to the point of being a fault, but he always forgot to take care of himself.  From the few months that he had been chatting with the younger man, he had learned that Vlad was at Amity U on full scholarship from another state entirely.  Dorms and classes paid for themselves, but his schoolwork drained him to the point where he simply forgot to eat.  And it didn’t help that he was a perfectionist, probably got three hours of sleep a night if he was LUCKY, had dark circles that looked like he’d been punched in both eyes, and had a part-time job at the diner down the street to help pay for other expenses like clothes, shoes, snacks…

Danny was an entrepreneur, managed an entire coffee shop by himself, along with -- other things -- and he could hardly understand how Vlad hadn’t collapsed from exhaustion yet.  He WANTED to help, but he wasn’t in the best position to help a customer with personal matters…

“So, what’s on your plate for tomorrow?” Danny asked, swallowing his concerns with the ease of practice.

Vlad licked his thumb, used it to pick up the crumbs, and put it into his mouth.  “Mm,” he murmured, pushing the spotless plate away from him and opening up Danny’s laptop.  “There’s a lecture tomorrow for engineering students, but it also has paranormal applications!  Not a lot of people will be going, probably. Still, I’ve been looking forward to it all quarter!  Jack and Madeline Fenton, on the creation of their Ghost Portal!”

Danny blinked in surprise.  “Oh that’s right!  I forgot my parents were going to be speaking there tomorrow…”

A moment of silence passed…

Then Danny glanced down, only to see Vlad staring up at him like he’d grown a third eye.  “YOUR parents are the leading paranormal mechanics in the world?” the boy gaped.  “And…”

He glanced behind Danny and around at the cafe.  “You run a bookshop?” he asked the air.

Vlad blinked… then glanced back up at Danny in alarm.  “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with that, I thank the stars for Andromeda every night!  I’d probably be kinda dead if it wasn’t for this place, hahaha!  But, like--?”

The older man shrugged, not offended.  “My parents and I are close, and I have the skills to take over the family business…” Danny admitted.  “But the Fentonworks is, well, their baby, you know?  I wanted to find my own thing.”

Danny waved a hand around the shop, a pleased and proud look in his eyes.  “It took awhile, but I built her from the ground up and I love what I do,” he said.  “One day I might be more involved in Fentonworks, but right now my folks are preparing my old friend Tuck to take over.  He’s more business savvy than I am when it comes to technology~”

Danny shrugged, a humorous light in his eyes as he thought about just HOW involved with Fentonworks and ghosts he already was.  But that was Phantom’s business, not Danny’s, and Danny prefered to keep it that way.  “Doing this, along with my occasional astronomy and sci-fi books, makes me happy,” he continued.  “That’s always what you should strive for kiddo.”

He turned and gave him a smile, a knowing look in his eyes.  “Always strive for happiness~”

Vlad sighed as he waited for the coffee shop’s wifi to connect.  “Yeah… I guess I’m not really sure where I’m going, 100 percent…” he admitted.  “I mean, I know what I WANT to do, but first I have to get through college and get hired somewhere that doesn’t have me serving fries in a basket…”

He trailed off, sighing and staring at the ceiling for a minute…

Then the college boy glanced up at Danny.  “Well, I’ll always have you, won’t I, babe?” he smiled.

Danny chuckled, turning to head back towards the front counter.  “I’ll always be there if you need me, kid~”

A beat passed.

“AND DON’T CALL ME BABE!”

Vlad threw his head back and laughed.

 

~*~

 

Eight hours, a completed essay, and two more lattes later, Andromeda Cafe closed for the night at 3am.  Vlad had to rush to put his things away, trying to return Danny’s laptop and being firmly refused.  It was the only bad aspect of the cafe; it had no set hours and could close out of nowhere.  Sometimes it could be open for 72 hours straight, and other times it would be open for twelve minutes and then close for an entire week.  Still, Danny always managed to pay the rent and lived in a loft over Andromeda, so he could afford the spastic hours.

Vlad hopped onto his bike and began to make his way back to campus.  It was a pitch-black, overcast night as he whizzed down the street.  No cars were around, and the only sound was the wind whipping around Vlad’s ears.  

Suddenly, the hair stood up on the back of Vlad’s neck.  

The brakes screeched as he slowed his bike, pulling off onto the sidewalk and shutting off his bike’s light.  He was in the older section of Amity Park, where more apartments where empty then occupied, and hauntings were commonplace but rarely fatal.  Still… it felt like someone was watching him.  It was quiet…

Way too quiet…

“DUCK!!”

 

Vlad followed the command on instinct, dropping down as his bike was smashed over by something that whizzed by over his head.  The thing was tackled by something else that had, apparently, been right behind him.  

There was a loud angry shriek as both forms crashed into the alley and away from Vlad.  

 

CRASH!!

 

Alarmed, Vlad moved cautiously over to peek around the corner...

His eyes widened even further.

Phantom, the town’s local hero, blasted a vulture-like ghost into the wall.  The thing howled in pain, before grumbling.  “Awe come on, I wasn’t gonna hurt the kid, just scare him a little!  I gotta get my kicks somehow!” it complained in a heavy Russian accent.

Phantom floated before the vulture, arms crossed and unimpressed.  “My town, my rules, now scram before I ship you back to the Zone MY way.”

Phantom had long white hair that floated around his nearly blue pale face, the ends seeming to taper off and float away like snowflakes.  He wore a black sleeveless, body fitting suit that came up high on his neck.  It had some white decal on it, along with his white boots and fingerless gloves.  Phantom was a strange ghost that apparently came to Amity Park over ten years ago, and he had been fighting against violent and dangerous ghosts ever since his arrival.  He protected the people of the city, even those that called him a menace.  Although there were few of those these days, now that he had the backing of human hero Valerie Grey, AKA “The Red Huntress.”  He was a pretty imposing figure, now that Vlad was seeing him in person.  He had saved the whole city multiple times over now and seemed stronger than any ghost ever encountered…

Good thing he was on humanity’s side.

“Yeah yeah, I’m gone! I’m gone!” the smaller ghost complained.  The vulture ghost flew off into the night, leaving Phantom alone in the alley.  

Phantom turned just then, glowing green eyes spotting Vlad in the dark easily.  “Hey there, you okay?” he called.  “You shouldn’t be in the part of town so late, human, it’s dangerous.”

Vlad’s face turned.

 

Bright.

 

Red.

 

“U-Uhh AHEM!!” the boy coughed.  His wide blue eyes stared at the ground through his glasses.  “YeahsureI’mokaywhywouldInotbeImean uh I’llshutupnow…”

Phantom blinked, then chuckled good-naturedly.  “Alright, if you’re sure...”

The ice-core ghost looked down at the kid’s bike with a soft frown of worry.  “Do you need help getting home?  I could give you a lift?”

“NoI’mgoodyou’reawesome I MEAN, NO, I’m fine!” Vlad yelped.  “I’m good!”

He shot to his feet, jumping onto his bike.  A foreboding CRUNCH made him jump right off.

Suddenly, it hit him that his only means of transportation was gone.  Vlad’s heart plummeted into his belly.  “Oh NO…!” he whispered.  Work.  He had to go to work this weekend.  How was he going to GET THERE NOW?!  

“NO, no, hold on, Vlad, you’re an engineering major, you can fix a bike…!” the college boy muttered.  He went to his knees, collecting various nuts, bolts, and shards of crumpled iron.  The mechanics shop was still open, right??  “I hoped I could get a little sleep tonight but if I work at it I can get this done by morning…!”

“Whoah, now.”  

Vlad looked up with a start to find Phantom had floated closer, looking down at the damaged bike in concern.  “I don’t think you can get that fixed tonight.  Come on, let me get you home, you look dead on your feet.”

He held a hand out to him in offering.  “You humans need sleep to function, I’m sure this can wait till morning?”

Vlad turned bright pink again, shying away from the hero’s hand.  “N-No… I c-can handle it, I promise, I just REALLY need to get back to campus!” he tried to explain.  However, most of it was reduced to a panicked mutter.  He’d been running on coffee for about three days now.  “While the welding torch is heating up I’ll go do laundry and -- ugh, will I have time for a snack?”

Even Phantom heard Vlad’s stomach rumble angrily.  “ACK, no, it’s 2am, nothing’s open.  Okay, no snack, just laundry and bike and--”

 

ZAP

 

A green spark smacked Vlad right in the back; it was just a stunner, non-damaging, but it would sting later.  Phantom caught Vlad as he went down for the count, passing out in his arms.  He shook his head sadly.  “Sorry, kid, but I had to.  You were running on FUMES.  You need sleep…”

He gave the bike parts a brief look, then took to the skies.  He cradled Vlad close to his chest, a worried frown passing over his lips as he felt how thin the young man was...  

At this rate, how long would it be till Vlad drove himself to an early grave?

Phantom turned invisible as he flew onto Amity U campus, then intangible as he flew into the dorms.  A quick look through Vlad’s bag gave him the kids room number, and soon Phantom was depositing him on his bed.  He removed his shoes and tucked him in, brushing a hand through his short dark hair.

“Sleep well, Vlad…”

He briefly double checked that the alarm was set so Vlad wouldn’t oversleep, then flew back out into the night.  He had originally intended to work on the next chapter of his book tonight, but decided he had something far more important to do...  

Like fix a bike…

~*~

..eep… eep… beep BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!

 

Vlad’s eyes slowly fluttered open.  He immediately moaned and turned over into the rare, precious feeling of his pillow, feeling like he was waking up halfway through rigor mortis. Even every beat of his HEART hurt… and there was a tingling, stinging sensation in the middle of his back…

Suddenly, the college boy sat straight up in a panic.  His bike!   His MIDTERM!

 

BEEP BEEP!

 

Vlad’s gaze shot to his clock.  It was almost 11 o’ clock in the morning!  His alarm had been set for 7am!  It been going off this whole time!  He’d missed his engineering midterm!!  The teacher didn’t accept any late projects at all!  That had been 30 percent of his GRADE!

 

BEEP BEEP!

 

He had finished the midterm project.  

 

BEEP!

 

It was sitting on his desk, three feet away from him.  But now he might as well have spent those two days he’d spent working on it ACTUALLY GETTING SOME SLEEP.

 

BEEP!

 

Everything hurt…

 

BEEP BEEP BEE--!  

 

Suddenly, Vlad’s temper shot through the roof.  He grabbed the clock and hurled it against the wall, where -- just his luck -- it punched a hole in the plaster and fell to the floor, still beeping.  That was going to come out of his paycheck at the end of the semester.  Depression fully consuming him now, Vlad forced himself out of bed… walked over to the alarm… and picked it up, finally shutting it off.

As silence filled the room, Vlad swayed as the temptation of sleep smashed into him like a PHYSICAL thing.  The room spun violently.

Alarm in hand, he stumbled back to his bed, fighting to keep his eyes open as he collapsed half on, half off the bed frame.  He couldn’t sleep… he COULDN’T.  The Fenton seminar was today.  And he had to fix his bike or he would miss his shift at the diner tomorrow… and he couldn’t call in “sick,” either.  He needed that money something terrible…

Slowly, Vlad pulled himself up off the bed.  

It took him almost half an hour to brew himself a cup of coffee and mix it with a 5-hour-energy, and then another half hour to drag himself outside.  Every step was like walking on nails.  

//Where’s my bike…?// he wondered through the haze that clouded his brain.  //Gotta… bike.  Yeah...//

After passing it three times on the bike rack, Vlad’s brows furrowed when he finally saw it.  He hadn’t noticed it… because he’d been looking for a wrecked bike.

And his bike was no longer wrecked.

It was bright and shiny!  The wheels and bent parts had been replaced, and the whole thing rubbed down.  It looked like a whole new bike; Vlad only recognized it by the Green Bay Packers sticker he’d stuck on the back.  The college boy dragged his feet over to it, silently wondrous as he ran his hands over the bike.  

//But… who would do this…?// he wondered.  There was no note…

~*~

Phantom watched him from a safe, invisible distance.  He saw how in pain the kid was, how desperately he needed sleep and food…  Maybe he should get a couch for the cafe, just for Vlad…

With that thought, he turned and flew off into the sky, the smell of crisp air and snow remaining in his wake.  He had some planning to do.

“Good luck, kid.  I’m rooting for you…”

~*~*~

“--And that is how the Ghost Zone portal functions under extreme duress!  Well, that’s about all Jack and I really have to say on the matter, I’m sure we’ve talked your ears off enough for two hours~!”

Maddie Fenton laughed at her own joke, joined by a few good hearted chuckles from the audience.  There had been a bigger turnout than Vlad had thought, but he was happy for that.  It drew more attention to his favorite field.  

Vlad sighed, nursing his third energy drink that day.  Still, he honestly felt like he had been punched in the face by a gorilla.  He had visited his mechanics professor earlier that day, and because he was such a good student the professor was giving him an extra-credit opportunity to be due before finals.  It would be an extra workload and it would have to be impressive, though.  And while he wouldn’t admit it at gunpoint, Vlad’s brain was burnt out.  He had NO ideas…

Maddie handed the mike back to an enthusiastic Jack.  “Now, do we have any questions?”

One student raised their hand.  “Was the portal always that big?  I mean, that must have taken you guys forever to make in the beginning…”

Jack laughed.  “Oh no, our prototype was MUCH smaller, about the size of an old TV!”

Vlad blinked.

“Yes, you in the back!”

All the other questions faded into the background of the churning of Vlad’s overworked brain.  This was the answer!  His mechanics midterm makeup!  It was something he could do… maybe it could even count as his final in two classes!  Yes!

He was going to build his own prototype of the Fenton Ghost Portal!

~*~*~

“How many times do I have to tell you not to come here like that?”  Danny scolded.  He pulled his loft’s shades down quickly, hoping no one had seen the red-suited woman as she flew onto the loft’s balcony.  “You’re gonna get seen one of these days and those are NOT questions I want directed at me.  Would it kill you to walk through the front doors like a NORMAL person?”

“Would it kill you to get a CALL BOX like a normal person?” Valerie Grey replied.  

Touching a button on her wrist controller, her sleek hoverboard dematerialized and funneled back into the matter-generators fused into her boots.  The Red Huntress stepped to the floor and straightened.  A brown-skinned woman with green eyes, a black crew cut, and a high-tech red battlesuit, Valerie Grey was tough as nails and just as sharp, the only one-woman ghost hunter in Amity Park since she was fourteen years old.  “Or do you not have much hardwired tech because of old fogeys like Technus?” she joked, raising an eyebrow.

Danny huffed.  “That’s one reason…”

He ran a hand through his hair as he led his old friend and crime fighting partner to the kitchen.  “Coffee or tea?”

“Tea, please.”

He quickly heated up a kettle with a small ecto burst before making her a cup of black tea.  “Alright, what do you have to report?” he demanded.  “And let’s walk and talk, I gotta get the shop open in thirty minutes…”

She followed him as he made his way down the loft’s spiral stairs towards the main cafe’s floors.  

“Well, there’s not much that’s new,” Valerie thought aloud.  “Or at least anything of note. Technus is still in Walker’s prison for some violation or another. That whole ‘coverage of ghost-related damages’ bill is still with the courts, the small fries are kicking over a few trash cans here and there, but to be honest, the biggest thing I’ve heard about is some Ice Cream Ghost yelling ‘you scream, I scream’ at anyone who enters the Baskin Robbins on 8th.”

“Ice core ghost?”

“More like slush core ghost.”

The huntress sipped her mug of tea.  “Surprisingly, Skulker and Ember actually meant it when they said they were going to settle down together, too.  I wouldn’t be too surprised to see a couple flaming-haired cyborg screamo babies before all that long.”

Danny turned to look at her in surprise, nearly tripping over his own feet.  “SERIOUSLY?  Wow…”

He waved a hand like it was nothing, but his eyes were still wide.  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for them.  But a baby, wow… That means serious commitment. That’s HARD for ghosts…  I’m impressed…”

He glanced at his calendar on the wall as he walked towards the register.  “I should take the time to go visit, say congrats,” he murmured.  “I’ve been meaning to see Clockwork anyway and I need to help Ghostwriter finish that register for new souls…”

He finally turned on all the lights, switched the CLOSED sign to OPEN, and unlocked the doors.  “Was there anything else?”

“Well, just a personal thing.”

Danny turned to face her, concerned.  “Oh?  Is everything okay?”

Valerie lowered her mug.  “Oh, yeah, totally.  With ME, at least.”

She placed it on a table and crossed her arms, leaning her hip against it.  “It’s YOU I’m worried about,” she informed him crossly.  “You’ve seemed pretty distracted these last two months.  Is it the new freshmen in here?  Do I need to kick an ass?”

Danny actually laughed at that.  “Really Val, I don’t need you kicking every guy’s ass that hits on or offends me.  Really, I can handle myself, I don’t let them walk all over me like I did when I first opened this place.”

His smile fell a tad.  “But yeah, I guess you could say I’m having issues with one freshman in particular…”

He leaned against the window, early morning light filtering in past his long dark hair.  “He’s a kid in my sister’s class.  Double major plus a minor, in on a full ride, no money, no family.  He’s a GREAT kid, has great ambition, but he’s putting his work before HIMSELF.  He hardly sleeps, hardly eats… No social life other than ME these days, practically lives off of my coffee…”

Danny shook his head, sighing heavily.  “I’m just worried about him, you know?” he said, baby blues looking imploringly at Valerie.  “It’s hard not to…  I swear, one of these days I’m gonna get a call from my sister and find out he’s crashed from exhaustion!”

Valerie was silent for a minute.  “Hmmm… what’s his name?”

“Hmm?  Oh, Masters.  Vladimir Masters.  He prefers to go by Vlad though.”  Danny said affectionately as he started to brew fresh coffee for the shop.  

“Does he know you’re Phantom?”

Danny frowned, looking at her like she had two heads.  “No, of course not.  The only ones who know are my family, you, and Sam and Tuck.  I haven’t told anyone else since that--”

“Yeah, yeah.  The INCIDENT.  Right…”

Valerie sighed, cracking her neck.  “So what does he think about Phantom, or have you never asked him?”

Before he could respond, she calmly put up both her hands.  “Now, JUST IN CASE you’re about to start asking me why I’m asking, I’m just concerned about you, man,” she informed him.  “I mean, if this kid DOES drive himself to an early grave we might be seeing him around.  I have a master’s degree in Ghost Profiling.  Actually, it might be good to meet this kid, see if he may turn into anything dangerous...”

“Vlad wouldn’t hurt a fly!”  Danny protested, looking offended.  “Seriously Val, he’s a good kid!  Reminds me of how WE were in college…”

He shook his head determinedly, brushing off her comment.  “I mean it, Val, he’s not dangerous.”

 

Tink~!

 

Danny looked up to see a familiar head of dark hair walk into the cafe.  He smiled, voice soft as he whispered to Valerie.  “Speak of the devil.  Looks like you get to meet him after all, and then you’ll see!” he exclaimed.

Val shrugged impartially.  “I got nothing against him, I’m just--”

As Vlad approached, Danny set out a mug of fresh coffee and croissant.  “Hey!  I was wondering if I’d see you today!” he enthused, overpowering Valerie’s response.  “How did midterms go?”

The boy stopped dead in his tracks.

His dark blue eyes stared past Danny, mouth agape and glasses slightly askew.  “Is THAT…?” he squeaked, pointing at the Huntress.  “Is that VALERIE GREY?”

Danny laughed, glancing back at the famous ghost hunter.  “Yeah, this is, uh, my old pal Val,” he explained.  “We went to college together, but no one really knows that.  Valerie, this is the little punk I was telling you about who seems to survive off caffeine fumes~”

“Hey, I ate this morning!” Vlad protested, then blinked again.  “I think.”

He walked forward, digging into his backpack.  “Um, Miss Grey?  I-I, uh, I’m a big fan of yours, is there any way you would sign something for me?” he asked sheepishly, pulling out a small notebook.  “I, uh… yeah.”

He flipped through it.  Leaning over his shoulder unnoticed, Danny counted at least six pictures of Phantom that he went past before he found a stock photo of Red Huntress.  

Vlad offered her the photo book.  “I… y’know, if you ever expect to meet your idols you always have to be prepared!” he remarked, turning a little pink.  “Please?”

The woman laughed.  “Sure, kid!”

She pushed off the table and accepted the notebook.  “You got a pen?” she asked.

“Yeah, totally!!”

Danny glanced at Valerie.  The huntress glanced pointedly at him, then at Vlad.  

“So… your midterms?” the older man persisted, taking the hint.

Vlad paused.  “Oh.”

He quickly resumed looking for a pen; he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking a little from his exhaustion.  “Um, well… there’s good news and bad news concerning that,” he replied uncertainly.  “I aced my business midterm, and I finished both my mechanics and paranormal projects on time, but, uh…”

Finally, Vlad pulled out a pen.  “Oh, here’s one!!” he exclaimed, giving it to Valerie.  “And that’s, um, ‘To Vladimir.’”

Danny’s brows furrowed as Vlad continued to dodge his question.  “Wait, what happened?  It sounded like you had everything all set.  Hell, you were here nearly all day the other day working…”

“Yeah, uh, something happened on my way back to my dorm and I HAD my alarm set for 7am!” Vlad laughed halfheartedly, rubbing the back of his head.  The residual disappointment and despair still lingered heavy under his forced happy tone.  “The, um, I mean, my mechanics project was due that morning at 8 and it usually takes me about an hour to leave the dorm but I guess I was a lot more tired than I realized and… I slept till 11…”

Vlad gave one more attempt at a smile.  “And it was kinda worth 30 percent of my grade, haha…” he admitted.  “And late projects are just not accepted if you miss that class… One of THOSE professors, right?”

“Oh… Oh, Vlad… I’m so sorry…”

Danny looked absolutely DEVASTATED.  Val actually did a double take, coming to the conclusion that there was more to this story then Vlad may have known if Danny was reacting like THIS.

Vlad’s smile came a little easier when it was to cheer up Danny.  “Haha, it’s not your fault, babe-- oh, I mean, Mr. Fenton!” he amended himself, glancing self-consciously at the Red Huntress.  “It’s just, y’know, hard for me to get up sometimes.  It was my fault.”

His face brightened a bit then, though.  “So that’s the bad news, but hey, there’s also good news!  The professor’s letting me do a make-up project that could also count as my paranormal final!  You remember that seminar that your, uh, parents were doing at Amity U?!”

Danny’s brows furrowed, guilt still eating at his heart and trying not to show it.  “Yeah…?”

Vlad’s tired eyes lit up with excitement.  “I’m gonna make an ACTUAL mini-prototype of the Fenton Portal!!”

Both Valerie and Danny froze.

Too enthusiastic about his idea to notice their reactions at first, Vlad continued to talk, voice getting louder and louder.  “Like, of course it’s going to have some of my own adjustments with the interdimensional splitters and I’m going to have to make SOME stuff in-house, but it’s going to be SO AWESOME!” he exclaimed.

He struck a dramatic pose.  “I’m going to call it, the MASTERS Portal 1.0~”

“Vlad…”  Danny cut in, worry clear in his voice.  He leaned forward over the counter, his tone soft and serious as he spoke to Vlad.  “Are you really sure you should be doing that?”

Vlad blinked at him.  “H-huh?”

Danny shook his head.  “Vlad, when my parents were first constructing that portal, they had some MAJOR issues in the beginning.  Did they mention how their own first prototype EXPLODED?  As did their second.  And third.

“There is also the issue of ecto-radiation, threat of exposure, and multiple other risks,” he continued, worry making his voice waver.  “I… I was almost in an accident myself when they turned on their first full sized portal.”

Val gave him a look at that comment but he ignored her.  “This is a very dangerous idea, Vlad,” Danny insisted.

“But…” Vlad started to say, “I’ll be careful!  I--”

“You probably shouldn’t,” Valerie agreed.

The college boy stared at the Red Huntress as she finished the autograph, closed his book, and handed it back to him.  “Interdimensional science is incredibly unstable.  It’s a mix of genius, timing, and simply LUCK that the Fentons got their portal working in the first place, and they were out of college for years before they managed to create a functioning prototype,” she informed him.  “It’s a bad idea, kid.”

Vlad looked down at the book, wilting slightly. “...Oh…” he murmured.

Danny sighed, coming around the counter and placing a hand on Vlad’s shoulder.  “Vlad, you’re a really smart kid, and I have no doubt you COULD make a working prototype.  But that’s what scares me.  You have the genius to do this, but can you honestly tell me you can afford the mistakes that come along with making one?  I mean, you currently live in a school paid dorm, on a scholarship.  I’m just worried you are going to get hurt and cause damage to yourself and/or those around you!”

He hugged Vlad’s shoulders.  “I didn’t want to say anything now, but I had passed along your resume to my friend Tuck.  He’s going to hire a few interns this summer, and he put your name on the list.  Just wait till then, okay?” he pleaded.  “Tuck and my folks will be MORE than happy to provide the space and support you need to try making your own prototype.  I have more than just faith in the fact you can do this, I just don’t think you’re going about it the right way.”

He smiled, affectionate and caring.  “I just want you to be safe…”

Vlad sighed.  “Thank you…” he murmured, glancing bitterly down at his notebook and putting it back in his backpack.

He paused for a minute, then looked up at Valerie, drawing on his starstruck feelings in order to pull a third smile out of his tired body.  “Thank you so much for the autograph, ma’am!” he chirped cheerfully, then glanced back at Danny.  “Well, I guess I’ll be going, it’s pretty late and I’ve been here a while~”

Danny frowned, concerned.  “But, its eight in the morning and you just got here.  You haven’t even drank your coffee yet--”

“Oh, I’m not tired yet!  But if you wanted to put that in a to-go cup that’d be great for blueprinting up some draws later.  Thanks!”

Well, that didn’t ease any of Danny’s concern at ALL.  He knew it was impossible to argue with this kid, though, and decided to let it go.  He took his coffee and poured it into a to go mug, before setting it on the counter a little bit harder than necessary.  He didn’t meet either of Vlad or Val’s startled looks as he moved towards a shelf in need of restock.

He could tell when he was being brushed off.  The kid wanted to do something stupid, fine.  He had warned him.

Still…

A moment later, Danny relented.  He gave Vlad one last smile, but it was slightly strained, a little hurt looking.  “Good luck on your upcoming finals, Vlad,” he said.  “Get back safe and try to get some sleep.”

With that he started cataloging and shelving books, shutting out the world around him.  Val sighed, shaking her head.  Men.

“There he goes again.”

“Huh?” Vlad asked.

“Nothing, kid.  I wish you luck, you’re gonna need it.”

Vlad blinked, then smiled at her weakly.  “Thanks,” he replied.  He picked up his coffee -- aiming a slightly confused look at Danny -- then fished in his pocket and put five bucks on the counter.  

“Thanks…” 

He sipped on the coffee absently and left.

 

 Tink~!

~*~*~

 

A month passed, and Vlad hadn’t visited the cafe once since meeting Valerie.  He had picked up that Danny didn’t want him doing this project, and might even be mad at him if he caught Vlad making blueprints in the cafe.  He didn’t want that to happen… And what he HADN’T told Danny was that he had already taken out a loan to buy the supplies he needed for the portal prototype; making another project wasn’t an option, and neither was waiting for that summer internship with Fentonworks.  It was certainly a smarter option, but both time and money were working against Vlad.  He couldn’t wait that long.  

So, he began work on the Masters Portal 1.0.

Unfortunately, with Andromeda out of his life, Vlad barely ever left campus.   He passed out more than once in the lab -- and once he hit his head at work, his boss insisted he take a two-week vacation.  Unbeknownst to his boss, that just made things worse for Vlad.

His bike rusted on the rack.  His skin grew paler, his body weaker, his stomach thinner.  Vlad had no friends or family to call him, remind him to eat, or pull him out of the lab.

In Vlad’s mind, he was more than fine with that.  

Because sure enough, creating an interdimensional portal was much harder than he thought.  Everything that went wrong did go wrong.  Bulbs popped, supports gave out, wires were crossed; once, the entire structure went up in green flames when he tried to turn it on.  One attempt became, two, then three and four.  

But Vlad wouldn’t give up.  He had come this far, he wasn’t about to give up now!

Finally, it was three days before the due date.

“Come ON…!” Vlad yelled.

Vlad’s voice was reduced to a ugly rasp from neglect.  He smacked at the controls from behind his protective barrier.

The Masters Portal 5.0 -- the fifth complete redesign he’d done this month -- looked far from the polished final product that he’d envisioned.  It was about the size of a boxy television, all wires and scrap parts connected to a generator that looked like it came right out of a Frankenstein movie.  Two of its predecessors had combusted in some form or another, but the last two had simply refused to work.  

It was three days before finals!  This one HAD to work!  It had to work and it had to work NOW!!

“COME ON!!”

~*~

It had been about a month since Danny last saw Vlad, and more than half a dozen times Danny had to stop himself from going to check on him or calling his sister about him…

He wasn’t just concerned or worried anymore.  He was terrified and FURIOUS.  He KNEW Vlad was building the portal, knew he had ignored all his warnings.  He was going to get hurt, going to cause an accident or worse…

Danny was sick with worry these days, asking Valerie to cover some of his patrol shifts cause he just couldn’t focus.  She understood his worries and let it slide this time, praying that the kid wasn’t being as stupid as Danny feared.  His hours became even more irregular than usual at the shop and he looked up every time the door dinged, only to slump even further into depression and worry...

“Ooohhh, I haven’t tasted this kind of emotion from you in a LONG time, kiddo~”

Danny scowled, turning to glare at one Penelope Spectra that sat on top of one of his bookcases.

~*~

//Maybe the signal just isn’t getting through!// Vlad thought at once.  //That has to be it!//

If he weren’t sleep deprived and starving and running on fumes, the young man would have never entertained the idea for a second to step out from behind that protective barrier.  But he was beyond desperate.  If this didn’t work, he’d fail his class.  If he failed his class, he’d lose his scholarship!  If he lost his scholarship, he literally had nowhere else to go!!

Vlad raced out from behind the barrier and stood at a distance from the portal, slamming at the remote.  “This HAS to WORK!!” he begged.  “Come on!!”

Unconsciously walking towards it.  Pleading with it.

“PLEASE!!”

~*~

Danny snarled.  “You’re not welcome here.  How did you get out of Walker’s grasp?”

She ignored him, looking down at her manicure boredly.  “Please, the real question is what’s weighing so HEAVY on your mind that you haven’t noticed I’ve been hovering around for DAYS~?”

Danny visibly flinched, before transforming instantly, both hands aglow with green light.  “Leave now, or I’ll repeat what happened LAST time we met…” he warned her, voice low and threatening.

Spectra cowered now, showing honest fear in his presence.  She had a healthy fear of Phantom; most ghosts did.  She had simply been tempted by his delicious misery and had to see what was bringing the great hero down…

“Come on now kiddo, don’t you want to talk about it?  Get it off your chest?” she replied shakily.  “I can already sense some of it, you know.”

Her confidence grew stronger as his weakened.  “Worry, fear, anger, unreciprocated love--”

“Wh-what?!”

Spectra cocked her head to the side, watching his flabbergasted expression…

And then she COOED.  “Oh, how precious~!” she purred.  “You didn’t even REALIZE~!”

Phantom paled, green eyes wide as thoughts swam in his brain.  No… No, he couldn’t!  

~*~

Suddenly, Vlad felt a change in the air.  It was silent, just a spark, and it passed in a millisecond -- like the instant before thunder strikes the ground.

The portal lit up in a swirling green vortex.

Vlad’s eyes lit up.  “I DID IT--!”

~*~

//Not again!//

 

“Get out…”

~*~

ZZT!

~*~

 

Spectra raised a brow.  “Wha--”

~*~

 

There was a flash of green light, a popping noise… then the windows blew out, the Masters Portal shredded apart…

Vlad’s eyes widened.  His remote fell to the floor.

And the entire lab EXPLODED.

~*~

“GET.  OUUUUUT!!”

The ghost wail that accompanied the scream sent Spectra screeching away, her outer layer already beginning to strip and crumble from the sheer power of it.  She fled quickly, knowing better than to pick a fight here.  The wail shook the shop to its foundations, causing the lights to flicker and go out as the circuit breaker was tripped.  

When the lights finally came back on, it revealed Danny, human again, kneeling on the floor with his face in his hands.  

How could he have let this happen…  It should never have happened!  Love brought nothing but pain!  He learned that from his last mistake!

Danny had a sinking feeling, that this would only end the same way…

And he didn’t think he could survive it this time…

~*~

When Vlad came to, all he saw was a broken panel on the ceiling, and a swinging light that had been ripped from its fixture and dangled from a live wire.  Sparks sputtered in the corners of his vision.  His ears were ringing, and it felt like his entire body had been dipped in radioactive acid.  It would have been excruciating… if it hadn’t felt so far away… and so relaxing.

Vlad sighed… and closed his eyes… and knew no more.

The broken bulb blinked out.

 

END EPISODE ONE

 

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